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melt these and cover the bulk of their continental areas with water, making the planet almost useless." I felt even sicker. This was going to recoil on Section 451 – me – like a firebomb.
    I knew this meant the end, not only of myself but Endow, Lombar and the whole Apparatus.
    I, too, felt like cursing Jettero Heller! This was the absolute end of everything we had planned – I mean that Lombar had planned. I could see no way out. None!
Chapter 8
    When the full purport of what Captain Roke had concluded had been clarified for the Lords by their aides behind them, and when everyone in that vast, glittering hall fully understood that Roke was actually telling them that the whole Invasion Timetable was suddenly threatened, consternation rose up like a growing storm.
    Lombar jabbed Endow ferociously in the back and the old Lord took a deep breath so he could yell loud enough to be heard above the babble. "Would the captain tell us if the combat engineer reported anything else?" Endow slumped back, exhausted with the effort and his nurse dabbed at his mouth with a cloth.
    As this might be important, there was a dying down of the tumult. Roke looked at his reports, rattled some papers. Without looking up, he said, "Because he was, after all, a combat engineer, there are a couple of items he added on his own." I could actually feel Lombar Hisst tense up. I, too, stopped breathing.
    "The first one," said Roke, "is a fast survey of the planet's detection equipment." He looked closer at the report. "They are said to have electronic detection equipment for flying objects . . . here's the wavelengths and estimated ranges of it. They have a satellite communications system . . . here's the satellite count, range and extent with estimated traffic volumes." Roke turned a page. He smiled slightly. "The combat engineer said that when the signals were unscrambled, most of that traffic turned out to be home entertainment. There is no defense network to detect approaches from outer space and it is all easily avoided." Lombar jabbed Endow and the old Lord said, "And the other item?" Roke turned another page. "He said it seemed like a nice planet. And that it was a shame they weren't taking care of it."
    "And that's all?" said Endow in response to a nudge from behind.
    Roke glanced through the report again and then looked up. "Yes, that's all. Nothing else." I could feel the tension ooze out of Lombar. He sat back. He almost laughed. This was what he had been waiting to hear. This was the turning point for him. He got brisk and whispered in Endow's ear.
    Endow said, "The Crown, if you please. This conclusion the Royal Astrographer seems to have reached, without submitting the data first to authoritative divisions, is very grave and very alarming. It threatens the schedules, budgets, allocations, construction projects, training programs and even the administration sections of every division here!" Lombar was proud of him. He even patted him on the back.
    The effect was immediate. Every Division around that table went into instant turmoil. It was true: change the invasion schedule and you changed the activities and priorities of thousands of sections in a government as vast and ponderous as Voltar's. To them it meant double, triple work. It meant endless conferences, huge stacks of revised plans, working late for weeks and confusion, confusion, confusion. You didn't do things in a minute. It took time!
    Captain Roke was through and withdrew. The Crown took over and cymbals clanged for quiet.
    "Opinions," said the Crown, "are requested on the feasibility of making an immediate and preemptive strike on Blito-P3." The Lord of the Army Division said, "We have no available reserves. The entire matter would have to be handled by Fleet and its marines." The Lord of the Fleet said, "We have not replaced the ship losses suffered in the Cliteus campaign. We would have to withdraw from the Hombivinin War and sacrifice many gains made there. The